Editor,
Meghalaya state is in the painful throes of increasing power cuts while the Government makes unconvincing statements in the press of attempts to find a solution to the critical electricity dilemma of the people. While prolonged power cuts are the order of the day, it is the imminent threat of increasing the hours of shortage that is making lives more miserable affecting small business folks such as Cyber Cafes, Tea/Coffee vendors who depend on dispenser sales etc. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has clarified that NEEPCo are “obligated” to supply power to the state, though he knows that the state owes NEEPCo a whopping outstanding bill of Rs. 379 crore. He further informs some amount of this dues will be paid and it is obvious he means a ‘pittance’. If Mukul Sangma believes it is the Government’s right to demand power supply from a public sector undertaking it is his blind-sighted thinking. The public sector owes no obligation to a repeatedly defaulting Government. It is a shame on his Govt. which came to power after winning the trust of the people on a huge mandate, to bring the state to its knees and on the brink of collapse with the electricity situation turning worse each passing day. Instead of loose cannon talk, it is high time this Govt. sees the writing on the wall for sooner than later, going by the electoral trends the Sangma Govt. will be without a god-father at the Center and Meghalaya is about to be left to its devices to garner resources. That said, will the Govt. wake up to the ground realities and engage in their internal cleaning up with concrete measures to pay up the NEEPCo dues as this seems to be the only solution in hand. Who in their right mind would want to do business with a poor debtor who has no record of surplus funds and whose only business is to portray a deficit balance in the whirlpool of financial mess. The Sangma Govt. is accountable to the people who put them in power. Lame excuses for repeated failures on all counts is not going to redeem this Govt. in the near future.
Yours etc.,
Lewis Sooting,
Via email
Solving the Power Crisis
Editor,
Meghalaya has been hit with an acute power crisis. Everyone and everything has been severely hit. Education – how do you study without lights? Health care – every hospital and diagnostic centre has been affected. People are paying with their lives for this shortage of power. Small shopkeepers, workshop owners, small enterprises remain idle but still pay for idle wages. Water that sustains life is unable to reach our homes. Food in the fridge is rotting and how does one cook, wash clothes, pump water without power. Within three short months 21st century Meghalaya reverted back to the Dark Age. There is public outrage and rightly so. People want assurances. All we are given is hopelessness. Is this tolerable?
Meghalaya’s power generating capacity has totally collapsed. We suffer daily 9 hours load shedding and from all indications this is likely to worsen. The only solution lies in NEEPCO bailing us out but this will come at a cost. NEEPCO has presented us with an outstanding energy bill for Rs 379 crore. It has refused to accept our measly 30 crore repayment offer and has demanded that we demonstrate good faith with a ‘handsome amount’ before any further supply of power can be considered. Unfortunately we don’t have it! Only hope is for Delhi or the banks to bail us out and frankly speaking – why should they pay for our incompetence? The future is bleak. A 24×7 energy blackout is no longer impossible. Is there a way out? Is there anyway Meghalaya can wriggle out of this mess?
Surprisingly the answer is a resounding yes. We already have 30 crores in hand. Each MLA gets app 1.20 crore each year as MLA funds for plastic chairs, plastic tubs and footpaths. Why can’t all 60 MLAs resolve to use their MLA fund for the welfare of the state and pool in this resource to ensure that you and I once again get 24×7 electricity in our homes? For one year 60 MLAs can pool in 1.20 x 60 = 72 crore. For four years Meghalaya can mobilise 72×4= 288 crores. 288+ 30= 318 crore which NEEPCO should certainly consider a ‘handsome payment’ to resume 24×7 power supply to our state. The beauty is we have these resources. They are already committed. All it needs is an Assembly resolution for these monies to be redirected from plastic chairs to electricity. Certainly a sacrifice is called for. Question is, are our representatives ready to forego their luxury for the welfare of the common man?
Yours etc.,
Toki Blah,
Via email